23-time Grand Slam champion refuses to rule out return, leaves tennis world guessing—and world No.1 Sabalenka says “it will be cool”

Serena Williams is back in the news. Back in the testing pool. And back to doing what she does best: keeping everyone guessing.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion refused to rule out a return to professional tennis during an appearance on the Today Show Wednesday, sending the tennis world into yet another speculation frenzy .

When asked directly about her plans, the 44-year-old delivered a masterclass in evasion:

“I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens.”

Interviewer Savannah Guthrie pressed: “That’s a maybe to me.”

Williams’ response? “It’s not a maybe.”

Clear as mud. Perfectly Serena.

The key detail: Williams’ name appeared on an ITIA document published October 6, 2025 . Players must spend six months in the testing pool before becoming eligible to compete .

That window closed in early April. She’s eligible now.

The “Housewife” Defense

During the interview, Williams revealed she recently listed her occupation on a form as “stay-at-home mom and housewife” .

When Guthrie asked directly if she’d re-entered the drug testing pool, Williams deflected with classic humor:

“I don’t know if I was out. Listen, I can’t discuss this. If I want to put it [rumours] to bed… listen, I want to go to bed.”

The exchange was vintage Serena—playful, evasive, and impossible to pin down .

What the Players Say

Aryna Sabalenka, fresh off her Indian Wells triumph and engaged to be married, welcomed the prospect of Williams’ return.

“I heard that she’s enjoying her life, and whatever makes her happy, I’m happy for her. If she wants to come back, that’s her decision. It’s going to be fun to see her back on tour. She’s got the personality, and she’s a fun one. It will be cool.”

Elina Svitolina, whom Sabalenka beat in the Australian Open semifinals, called a potential Williams comeback “amazing.”

“She’s such a great champion and achieved so much, did so much for our sport and been an inspiration for women around the world.”

The Venus Factor

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller believes the possibility of playing doubles with sister Venus may be the real motivator.

“Williams was playfully evasive in her appearance on the Today show, but you can take the lack of a denial to mean the idea of a comeback has crystallised in her mind.”

Venus is 45 and still competing. The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. One last dance at the US Open? Wimbledon?

Fuller adds: “Williams would not even be the oldest member of her family on the tour if she does return.”

Annabel Croft, former British No.1 speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, admitted even she doesn’t know what to make of it.

“I don’t know what to make of it. I mean it is just extraordinary. When you think what a wonderful career she’s had and she now has two children and a wonderful, fulfilled life off the court.”

Croft suspects doubles, not singles, would be the focus:

“I think we all think that it’s something to do with Venus Williams perhaps playing her last match at the US Open. Maybe she’s asked sister Serena whether she’d like to join her on court.”

Her conclusion: “I doubt very much whether she would want to play singles, but anything is possible with Serena Williams.”

Serena Williams is 44 years old. She’s a mother of two. She’s a venture capitalist, a fashion icon, and arguably the greatest tennis player ever.

She’s also back in the drug testing pool, eligible to compete, and refusing to say no.

The tennis world can speculate all it wants. Until Serena decides to speak—really speak—everyone’s just guessing.

And as Croft said: anything is possible with extraordinary Serena.

Can They Do the Sunshine Double? Sinner and Sabalenka Chase History at Miami Open

After Indian Wells glory, the world’s best return to the court for back-to-back 1000-level showdowns—and a place in tennis immortality

Published: March 16, 2026 | 4 min read

MIAMI — The desert is conquered. The sun has shifted east. And tennis’s biggest question now burns under the Florida sun:

Can they do it again?

Fresh off their Indian Wells triumphs, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and world No.2 Jannik Sinner arrive in Miami with history on their minds. Win here, and they join an exclusive club: the “Sunshine Double.”

Back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Two weeks. Two 1000-level tournaments. One statement.

The Sunshine Double

Only four women have ever done it. No man has done it since Roger Federer in 2017 .

Martina Navratilova, who won the first Miami Open in 1985, explained why it’s so rare:

“It’s just because it’s tough fields, the biggest and the best. And then there’s the adjustment as far as weather and the courts. It just weighs you down. With back-to-back two-week events, it’s tough to stay on top of it for so long, physically or emotionally. It’s a longer stretch of engagement.”

Sabalenka

Sabalenka arrives in Miami riding the highest high of her career.

The world No.1 dropped to her knees in the desert after finally conquering her Indian Wells demons—two previous finals lost, including to Rybakina in 2023 .

Now she’s the defending champion in Miami. Win, and she joins Graf, Clijsters, Azarenka, and Swiatek in immortality.

Sinner

Jannik Sinner’s Indian Wells run was absurdly dominant.

The Italian hadn’t won Indian Wells before. Now he’s defending champion in Miami, chasing his own piece of history .

Sinner’s 2026 season started with an Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic, but he’s been nearly untouchable since.

The British Charge: Draper Leads the Way

Jack Draper will lead British hopes in Miami after a mixed start to 2026.

Draper’s return from a long-term arm injury has been cautious. His second-round loss in Dubai to Arthur Rinderknech showed flashes but also rust. Miami offers a chance to build momentum before the clay season .

Who Else Is Hunting Glory?

Rybakina, despite the Indian Wells loss, will rise to world No.2 next week. Her rivalry with Sabalenka is now the defining matchup in women’s tennis—9-7 head-to-head, and counting .

Alcaraz suffered his first loss of 2026 in the Indian Wells semifinals to Medvedev, ending a 16-match winning streak . The Spaniard will be desperate to reassert himself in Miami.

How to Watch

Defending champions: Aryna Sabalenka (women), Jakub Mensik (men)

Two champions. Two chances at history. One hell of a two weeks.

Sabalenka is playing the best tennis of her life — engaged, happy, and unbeatable in big moments. Sinner hasn’t dropped a set in his last six matches and looks ready to dominate.

The Sunshine Double is rare for a reason. It takes everything—fitness, focus, luck, and nerve.

But if anyone can do it? These two look ready to try.

Aryna Sabalenka Indian Wells champion 2026

World No.1 survives three-set thriller against Rybakina, avenges Australian Open loss, and seals 23rd career title in emotional desert triumph

March 16, 2026 | 4 min read

INDIAN WELLS — Aryna Sabalenka arrived in the California desert with a new fiancé and a new puppy. She leaves with something she’s chased for three years: the Indian Wells trophy.

The world No.1 outlasted Elena Rybakina in a breathless final, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), to claim her first title at Tennis Paradise and the 23rd crown of her career .

The victory wasn’t just another trophy. It was redemption.

Sabalenka had lost her previous two Indian Wells finals—including to Rybakina herself in 2023. She’d also begun 2026 with a gut-wrenching defeat to the same opponent in the Australian Open final .

“This is a dream come true,” Sabalenka said afterward, dropping to her knees as the final point settled .

Duration: 2 hours, 47 minutes

The final was the first time Sabalenka dropped a set all tournament. Rybakina broke early in the opener, surged to 4-2, and never looked back .

The second set started even worse—Rybakina broke again immediately. Sabalenka yelled in frustration. Then something clicked.

A love hold leveled at 1-1. Another break in the fourth game gave her a 4-1 lead. Four aces and nine unforced errors from Rybakina later, the set belonged to Sabalenka .

The decider was pure chaos. Sabalenka led 3-1. Rybakina clawed back to 5-5, then took the lead. Sabalenka forced a tiebreak. At 6-6, she pulled clear. 8-6. Champion.

The difference? Rybakina’s 38 unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 32 . In a match this tight, those six extra mistakes were the margin.

The Head-to-Head Shift

With this victory, Sabalenka now leads their rivalry 9-7.

Both players are separated by one ranking place—but after Sunday, Rybakina will rise to world No. 2 .

Sabalenka arrived at Indian Wells fresh off two life-changing events:

• Engagement to Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis

• New puppy joining the family

She mentioned both in her trophy speech, laughing through the emotion:

“I want to thank my team for always being there, and my fiancée—what a week! Getting a puppy, getting engaged, and winning a title. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

Earlier, she’d addressed Frangulis directly during the on-court ceremony: “I love you so much, baby” .

What Rybakina Said

The Kazakh star, despite the loss, delivered a classy runner-up speech:

“I want to congratulate Elena. I know we’ll face each other many more times. Thanks to everyone who made this tournament possible. It is truly a tennis paradise. I’m always happy to come here every year and thank God I got this trophy” .

Rybakina’s run to the final—including wins over Madison Keys and Coco Gauff—solidifies her status as the tour’s most dangerous second banana .

Aryna Sabalenka is finally an Indian Wells champion.

Three years. Two previous runner-up finishes. One Australian Open heartbreak earlier this season.

And now: one trophy. One ring. One puppy. One perfect week.

“I’m always happy to come here every year,” she said. “And thank God I got this trophy.”

The desert finally belongs to the queen.

Inside Dele Alli’s Emotional Tottenham Return: Training, Tears, and a Last Chance at Redemption

Seven months without a club, 269 appearances for Spurs, and one last dream: The 29-year-old is back at Hotspur Way—but not how you’d expect

Published: March 5, 2026 | 4 min read

Dele Alli is back at Tottenham.

But don’t call it a comeback. Not yet.

The 29-year-old former England midfielder has returned to Hotspur Way—not to sign a contract, not to train with the first team, but to use the club’s academy facilities for individual training as he desperately searches for a new club .

It’s been seven months since his last professional appearance. Seven months since Como terminated his contract. And for a player who once formed one-third of Tottenham’s devastating “DESK” attack alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, the fall has been devastating .

What’s Actually Happening?

Tottenham has granted the former fan favorite access to their facilities as a goodwill gesture while he works on fitness and searches for a new employer . He’s not on trial. He’s not in discussions. He’s just… there.

Last month, Dele appeared as a special guest during the North London Derby against Arsenal. With Tottenham trailing 4-1 at half-time, the stadium announcer called his name—and the entire ground rose.

Speaking to the fans, Dele delivered a message that now feels hauntingly prescient:

“I can’t wait to get back on the pitch playing, hopefully it won’t be too long now. I hope you’ve missed me as much as I’ve missed you. A lot has happened in our journeys since we were last together, but I’m back today and I hope you know that you’ll always be my family” .

This week, he posted training footage on Instagram with the caption: “Do what make you happy” .

The Rise and Fall

At his peak, Dele was unplayable. He scored 22 goals in the 2016-17 season—more than Son that year . He started for England in a World Cup semi-final. Jose Mourinho called him out in the All or Nothing documentary: “If you fail to fully utilize your top-tier talent, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life” .

He was right.

Tottenham isn’t doing this out of charity alone. They’re in a relegation battle. Their squad is decimated by injuries. According to reports, they’re “down to barely a full first eleven’s worth of fit senior players” .

If Dele impresses in these individual sessions—if his fitness returns, if his head is clear—a short-term deal isn’t impossible. Mauricio Pochettino, the manager who unlocked Dele’s best football, is heavily linked with a summer return to Spurs after the World Cup .

The stars are aligning. But Dele has to prove he’s still a player.

Dele has been brutally honest about his struggles. In a 2023 interview with Gary Neville, he revealed childhood sexual abuse, addiction, and mental health battles that contributed to his decline .

He’s spoken about entering rehab, about feeling lost, about the pressure of being the “lazy genius” label that followed him .

Now, he’s 29. Still young enough to rebuild. Still talented enough to matter.

Could He Return to Spurs?

The smart money says Dele uses Tottenham’s facilities, gets fit, and signs elsewhere—likely in the Championship or abroad.

But football loves a narrative. And if Pochettino walks back into Hotspur Way this summer, with Dele already there, training alone, waiting…

Stranger things have happened.

Dele Alli is training at Tottenham because he has nowhere else to go. Because the club that saw his best self is willing to offer a hand. Because a 29-year-old with 67 Premier League goals doesn’t just disappear.

He posted a video this week. Working on his own. Passing drills around mannequins. Shots into empty nets.

It’s not the Santiago Bernabeu. It’s not Wembley. But it’s a start.

“Do what make you happy.”

For Dele, that’s still football. And for now, that’s enough.

Tennis Tournaments in Türkiye Abruptly Canceled Over Middle East Security Fears

ITF pulls the plug on events in Antalya—including ones already underway—as Iran tensions spark regional alarm

Published: March 5, 2026 | 3 min read

ANTALYA, Türkiye — Players arrived for dinner. They left scrambling for flights home.

Multiple international tennis tournaments scheduled for March in Türkiye’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya have been abruptly canceled after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) raised security concerns linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The decision wasn’t preventive. It was reactive—and chaotic.

What Was Canceled

The cancellations cover three separate weeks of competition in March, plus tournaments that had already begun on March 2 .

Bulgarian player Julia Stamatova captured the surreal moment everything changed.

“Everything was fine, everyone was in the lobby thinking they’d play the next day,” she said in a video from Antalya. “They were here to book courts, some were just relaxing after dinner.”

Then the message arrived.

“Suddenly we all got a notification that the tournaments were canceled, after which there was great chaos. Everyone gathered in the lobby wanting to know if it was true or not.”

The tournament director was “quite disappointed.” Players scrambled for answers .

The official statement from the Turkish Tennis Federation cited security risks connected to “developments in the Middle East” that could affect international travel and event safety .

But Bulgarian media, citing players on site, reported a more specific fear: Turkish authorities are concerned about potential missile and drone attacks from Iran. The country’s Ministry of Defense has placed air defense systems on full combat alert .

The ITF made the call after consulting with security experts .

Players who had planned their schedules around Antalya are now stranded—literally and competitively.

Bulgaria’s Gergana Topalova described the scramble:

“Last night they told us they were canceling the tournaments for the next few weeks in Antalya because of the current situation. We bought tickets as quickly as possible to get back before something more serious happened.”

Her immediate future is uncertain:

“I still don’t know what my next tournament will be because I had planned to play in Antalya for the next two weeks, and the deadlines for entries for other tournaments in this period have passed. Maybe we’ll hope for a wild card” .

Meanwhile, at Indian Wells…

The chaos in Türkiye isn’t the only travel disruption caused by Middle East tensions.

Russian stars Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov were stranded in Dubai after the ATP 500 event there, unable to fly directly due to Iran-related airspace closures. They eventually reached Indian Wells via Oman .

Rublev and Khachanov are scheduled to play Friday. Medvedev starts Saturday .

The ITF isn’t taking chances. With air defense systems on alert and players receiving midnight evacuation notices, March tennis in Türkiye is officially dead.

For the players packed into Antalya’s lobby that night, the message was clear: go home. Now.